A 1975 graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, he served as Head of the Ordnance Systems branch and as a test pilot for more than 20 different types of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. In this capacity, he performed the first flights in the AH-1T helicopter. He graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia in 1978, and was assigned to Headquarters Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, where he assumed responsibility for joint operational planning for Marine Forces in NATO and the Middle East. He was serving as aide-de-camp for the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, when advised of his selection by NASA in May 1980.
NASA experience
Springer became an astronaut in August 1981. His technical assignments included support crew for STS-3, concept development studies for the Space Operations Center, and the coordination of various aspects of the final development of the Remote Manipulator System ("Canadarm") for operational use. He worked at Mission Control in the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center as the CAPCOM for seven flights between 1984 and 1985.
Springer was responsible for Astronaut Office coordination of Design Requirements Reviews and Design Certification Reviews. These review efforts encompassed the total recertification and reverification of the Shuttle prior to STS-26 return to flight status. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-29 in 1989, and STS-38 in 1990.
Springer retired from NASA and the U.S. Marine Corps in December 1990.
STS-29
Space Shuttle Discovery (March 13–18, 1989) was launched from Kennedy Space Center. During 80 orbits of the Earth on this highly successful five-day mission, the crew deployed a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, and performed numerous secondary experiments, including a Space Station "heat pipe" radiator experiment, two student experiments, a protein crystal growth experiment, and a chromosome and plant cell division experiment. In addition, the crew took over 4,000 photographs of the Earth using several types of cameras, including the IMAX 70 mm movie camera. Mission duration was 119 hours and concluded with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
STS-38
Space Shuttle Atlantis (November 15–20, 1990) was launched at night from Kennedy Space Center. During the five-day mission the crew conducted Department of Defense operations. After 80 orbits of the Earth, Atlantis and her crew landed back at the Kennedy Space Center, in the first Shuttle recovery in Florida since 1985.